On Monday, Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Tim Hire surprised the three winners named in the 32nd Annual Tulare County Excellence in Education Awards program. The three winners notified were Josefina Velazquez (2026 Administrator/Manager of the Year), Michael Bedoya (2026 Teacher of the Year), and Placido Flores (2026 School Employee of the Year).
A few weeks ago, a selection committee of Tulare County business and education leaders reviewed the nominees in each of the three categories. A total of 49 nominations were received from Tulare County school districts. Each nomination was scored individually by the selection committee.
Read more in the News Week GalleryNews Gallery Week.
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Dom Simmons
Senior, Crescent Valley Public Charter School II, Visalia
Dom's Everyday Kindness and Empathy
Nominator Brett McGinnis shares, “Dom could easily be considered for both Respect and Caring based on her daily actions. She consistently shows warmth and kindness to everyone around her at school. Despite struggling with anxiety, Dom regularly compliments and says kind words to other students and staff members almost every day she is present. She treats everyone she interacts with — regardless of differing viewpoints or interests — with complete respect and kindness...”
Read more about Dom at Profiles in Character.
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